A well-argued interpretation of the chronology of events outlined in the Christian end-times prophecies.
A precise schematic of the Christian end times.
Pfeil (The Fifth Seal in Sharp Focus, 2010) begins his latest intensely researched and detailed scriptural study with a plainly stated reassurance that couldn’t be more welcome in the 21st-century climate of cross-denominational religious intolerance: “Different doctrinal positions on the end-time events do not have any effect on our salvation,” he writes. “They also should not have any effect on our Christian walk.” Having thus firmly placed his book’s contents in the realm of spiritual and intellectual food for thought, he then proceeds to lay out an extremely involved exegesis of Christian end-times prophecy attempting to detail the exact chronology of events that are destined to take place in the 70th-week end-of-history period alluded to in the book of Daniel. Pfeil has scoured the Old Testament and New Testament for any relevant scraps of revelation, laying out quotations and annotations from Isaiah, Joel and the Synoptic Gospels in an appendix. The crucial doctrinal distinction Pfeil wants to impress upon his readers is the difference between his own “Pre-Wrath” eschatology, in which most of Daniel’s 70th week will pass before God commences judgment on the wicked of the world, and the rival “pre-tribulation” interpretation, in which those judgments take place during the whole of the 70th week. The clearly written and superbly construed textual analysis that follows is a fine example of Christian scholarship. But its appeal is necessarily limited; even Scripture-literate Christians may need their Bible concordances handy to keep pace with Pfeil’s inquiries. The faithful who are passionate about end-times prophecies will want to make the effort, however, since Pfeil’s book is a thoughtful, satisfying master seminar on the subject (the book is also exceptionally well-designed). And the inclusive sentiments of the book’s opening lines govern its discussions throughout: Regardless of the exact sequence of end-time events, Christians are all ultimately united in their salvation.
A well-argued interpretation of the chronology of events outlined in the Christian end-times prophecies.Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2013
ISBN: 978-1449799823
Page Count: 264
Publisher: Westbow Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 15, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This a book of earlier, philosophical essays concerned with the essential "absurdity" of life and the concept that- to overcome the strong tendency to suicide in every thoughtful man-one must accept life on its own terms with its values of revolt, liberty and passion. A dreary thesis- derived from and distorting the beliefs of the founders of existentialism, Jaspers, Heldegger and Kierkegaard, etc., the point of view seems peculiarly outmoded. It is based on the experience of war and the resistance, liberally laced with Andre Gide's excessive intellectualism. The younger existentialists such as Sartre and Camus, with their gift for the terse novel or intense drama, seem to have omitted from their philosophy all the deep religiosity which permeates the work of the great existentialist thinkers. This contributes to a basic lack of vitality in themselves, in these essays, and ten years after the war Camus seems unaware that the life force has healed old wounds... Largely for avant garde aesthetes and his special coterie.
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 1955
ISBN: 0679733736
Page Count: 228
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1955
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